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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
November 11, 1928
Died
June 7, 2002
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
James Luisi
0.3 Popularity
Biography
A native New Yorker, James Luisi attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights on a basketball scholarship. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He then played one season (1953-54) with the Baltimore Bullets in the National Basketball Association. His acting career began on the stage with early parts coming in the Broadway musicals "Sweet Charity" and "Zorba". His early movies were minor, though his "beefcake" appeal was evident in 1973's I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973) in which he rarely wore a shirt. Most of his later work was on TV. In 1976 he shared a "best actor" daytime Emmy for playing George Washington in a daytime drama special titled First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington (1975). Also in 1976 he started his four-season role as Jim Rockford's (James Garner) nemesis Lt. Chapman in The Rockford Files (1974). In 1983 he played the cop in charge of some street-gang-members-turned-undercover-agents in the short-lived series The Renegades (1983), which provided a boost for Patrick Swayze, who played one of the gang members. Along with guest spots on numerous TV shows, Luisi also appeared in the soap operas Days of Our Lives (1965) and Another World (1964). In the 1990s he returned to acting in and directing stage work in the Los Angeles area. Stricken with cancer he passed away on 7 June 2002 and is survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Georgia Phillips.
Known For
6.5
Capt. Doug Chapman
The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play
1996
7.0
Capt. Doug Chapman
The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits...
1996
6.2
Murray
Baywatch Nights
1995
6.0
Silk Stalkings
1991
6.8
Dark Justice
1991
2.6
Colonel Jerry Maxim
Lethal Woman
1989
5.8
Sperry
Feds!
1988
6.9
Ferrari Salesman
The Hidden
1987
7.0
Paul Viola
L.A. Law
1986
6.0
Ed Reineke
Murphy's Law
1986
Credits
The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play
as Capt. Doug Chapman
1996
6.5
The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits...
as Capt. Doug Chapman
1996
7.0
Baywatch Nights
as Murray
1995
6.2
Silk Stalkings
1991
6.0
Dark Justice
1991
6.8
Lethal Woman
as Colonel Jerry Maxim
1989
2.6
Feds!
as Sperry
1988
5.8
The Hidden
as Ferrari Salesman
1987
6.9
L.A. Law
as Paul Viola
1986
7.0
Murphy's Law
as Ed Reineke
1986
6.0
The Hogan Family
1986
6.8
Hell Town
1985
5.0
Partners in Crime
1984
6.2
Finder of Lost Loves
as Jordan Hollis
1984
5.7
The Red-Light Sting
as Renny Lucas
1984
2.0
Star 80
as Roy
1983
6.4
Sunset Limousine
as Angel
1983
4.0
The Renegades
as Lt. Marciano
1983
5.0
The A-Team
as Jimmy Durkee
1983
7.5
Knight Rider
as D.G. Grebs
1982
7.5
Matt Houston
1982
6.2
The Renegades
as Lt. Joe Marciano
1982
6.4
T. J. Hooker
as George Laszlo
1982
6.4
T. J. Hooker
as Vincent Hazzard
1982
6.4
The Fall Guy
1981
7.5
Our Family Business
as Frank
1981
0.0
Magnum, P.I.
as John Walter Costa
1980
7.3
Fade to Black
as Capt. M.L. Gallagher
1980
5.6
Here's Boomer
1980
5.3
Knots Landing
as Lieutenant Gilbert Garcia
1979
6.7
Hart to Hart
1979
6.9
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
as Hood
1979
7.0
🎬
Harris and Company
1979
0.0
Norma Rae
as George Benson
1979
7.2
Moment by Moment
as Dan Santini
1978
3.3
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
as Jimmy Karalla
1978
5.5
Vega$
1978
7.0
Sword of Justice
1978
5.5
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
1978
5.0
Love Is Not Enough
as Harry Foreman
1978
0.0
Killer's Delight
as Sgt. Vince De Carlo
1978
4.0
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
as Lazzeri
1978
9.0
Contract on Cherry Street
as Al Palmini / Arnold Palmer
1977
6.3
CHiPs
1977
6.8
Stunts
as Alvin Blake
1977
4.9
Hunter
1977
8.0
Quincy, M.E.
1976
7.5
Spencer's Pilots
1976
5.0
Future Cop
as Paterno
1976
5.0
Good Heavens
1976
5.5
City of Angels
1976
5.2
Wonder Woman
as George
1975
7.0
🎬
First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington
as George Washington
1975
0.0
Starsky & Hutch
1975
7.3
S.W.A.T.
1975
7.0
The Rockford Files
as Lt. Doug Chapman
1974
7.6
The Rockford Files
as Burt Stryker
1974
7.6
The Take
as Benedetto
1974
6.3
Honky Tonk
as Blackie
1974
0.0
🎬
The Man from Independence
as Stranger
1974
0.0
Cry Rape
as Det. Kroger
1973
6.7
Kojak
as Det. Geno Alessi
1973
7.0
Kojak
as Capt. Henry 'Hank' Rosseau
1973
7.0
I Escaped from Devil's Island
as Dazzas
1973
4.8
Police Story
1973
6.9
Hawkins
as Andy Tyler
1973
7.2
Barnaby Jones
as Nick Gorman
1973
6.9
Barnaby Jones
as Burt Logan
1973
6.9
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
7.0
Ghost Story
as Rick
1972
7.1
The Rookies
1972
6.8
Ben
as Ed
1972
5.9
Cannon
1971
6.6
Cat Ballou
as Spider Levinsky
1971
0.0
Adam-12
as Antonio Minetti
1968
7.0
Ironside
as Mike Purcell
1967
6.8
The F.B.I.
as Sam Kehoe
1965
5.4
The F.B.I.
as Little Julio
1965
5.4
Another World
1964
5.2
The Rifleman
1958
7.1
Naked City
as Mark Andrew
1958
5.5
Gunsmoke
as Ivers
1955
6.6